Taking Up a Fare – 'All the World's a Stage'
Original title: Taking Up a Fare – "All the World's A Stage"
kurzbeschreibung
John Doyle's 1837 lithograph 'Taking Up a Fare – All the World's a Stage' presents a lively traffic episode in which several men cluster around a horse-drawn carriage. The draft animal is labelled 'Peel', a nod to the British Prime Minister Robert Peel. The print appears in black and white and includes inserted dialogue or captions.
Description
Men dressed in the clothing of their time, with hats and coats, stand around a carriage and turn toward the vehicle. The horse pulling the cart bears the inscription 'Peel'. Some figures seem deep in conversation, while others direct their gaze at the carriage. The layout draws the viewer into the bustle; text elements are inserted and present themselves as snatches of conversation.
Context
The initials 'H.B.' concealed the Irish-British caricaturist John Doyle, who published political satires. This sheet was made in May 1837, during a period of political upheaval in Britain. The reference to Robert Peel points to his office as Prime Minister and his leadership of the Conservatives. The title borrows from Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' and transfers the stage metaphor to politics.
Impact
The detailed group of figures feels lively and inviting, leading the eye from one actor to the next. The joking allusion to Peel and the stage metaphor create an ironic distance from political events. The black-and-white technique brings out the satirical edge of the sheet more clearly.
Technique
As a lithograph, the print relies on the principle of grease and water repelling each other: the drawing was transferred to a stone and then printed with ink on paper. The format of 29.2 × 43 cm matches the usual size of satirical single-sheet prints of the period.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)